"Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide...

...Gonna find you and make you want me..."
___

"Fuck today. Fuck you. Fuck school."

"Aw, c'mon Lucas," Michael exclaims, attempting to throw his arm around the tall blonde's shoulder and steer with one hand. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Yeah, Luke," Ashton replies sarcastically. He pulls his hood up over his head, crossing his arms and closing his eyes in the backseat of Michael's mom's car, "Aren't you happy to see him?"

Luke shoves Michael away from him. "I'm not gonna answer that."

Michael laughs. "Chill, mate. Seriously. Chill."

Luke sighs.

When he gets a text from Kennedy.

Kenn: Need a ride ?

He curses. Why didn't he get a ride with Kennedy, today?

He replies: Fuck yeah...but I'm already with Mike

There's a response.

Kenn: I know that's your favorite thing in the world

He types, laughing silently through his nose: Wrong.

And her cry-laughing emoji makes him smile in the passenger seat.

"What's so funny?" Michael asks, as they continue to sit outside of Calum's house. "And where the fuck--" He presses down on the horn, "is Cal?"

"Probably gone," says Ash tiredly.

Michael twists in the front seat. "What?"

"He's probably gone," Ashton repeats, slower this time, as if he were talking to a child. "Gone, mate. Bet he's not here."

"What the fuck? Why wouldn't he be here?"

And Luke nods knowingly. "Yeah, no," he says. "He probably rode with Royce."

"What the fuck? Royce?" Michael exclaims. "Royce Greene? What the fuck?"

"How many times you gonna say her name, Mike?"

"Piss off, Ash," he growls. And he grips the gear shift, putting the car into Drive. "I'm just wondering what my mate is doing with that cheerleader."

"Well," Ashton begins, "when a boy likes a girl, something magical happens--"

"Fuck off."

"S'just the truth, mate. Just the truth."

"What is? That you're a prick, or that Cal fucking didn't tell me he didn't need a ride?"

"Cal's obviously preoccupied," Luke shrugs. "Not that big of a deal."

"Not that big of a deal? Since when does he not..." He shakes his head, "There are four of us. Four. Not three--Whatever," he finishes amidst Ashton and Luke's chuckles.

"S'just...just weird," Michael snarls to himself, putting the car in drive and pulling from the curb.

___

They pull up to the school and park in their usual place.

Ashton's staring out the window, none of them making any motion to get out of the car and actually go inside. "Hey, look," he points with one hand, nudging  Luke with the other, "It's Kenn's car."

And Luke texts her, spotting the shiny little Mercedes.

I see you.

She responds.

Kenn: What? Where are you?

Parking lot, is his reply. I just see your car :)

Kenn: boy if you don't...

And she accompanies her text with a gif of Judge Judy, rolling her eyes.

He laughs.

Luke: inside already?

Kenn: yessss
Kenn: kill me now

Luke: what? you don't love school?
Luke: because I love school so much

Kenn: boy  if you DONTTTT....

And Luke chuckles to himself. "The girls are inside," he says.

"Cool," Ashton nods, "Lola didn't get her coffee this morning so, you know how that is..."

Luke turns in his seat. "You buying time?" He chuckles.

Ash grins sheepishly. "Don't tell her, though."

And the two start laughing and Michael peers between the two of them with his pierced eyebrow raised.

"Am I missing something?" He exclaims.

Luke looks up from his phone, since Kennedy's texted him again: I'm with Lola and she didn't get her coffee this morning hallpppp

Ashton answers. "What?"

"Calum's hanging with Royce?" Michael smirks. "You're friends with Kenn, now?"

"Like you aren't?" Luke rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, mate," Ashton chuckles, leaning his hooded head against the window and watching his classmates walk inside the building. "What the fuck're you saying?"

"Luke wanted to smash, is what I'm saying," Michael exclaims excitedly. And he nudges him, fucking up his texts as he types back to Kennedy, lol she'll feel better once she can get her hands in ash--

He quickly corrects that. ***AROUND ASH AROUND

Luke laughs at himself, all before he looks up from his phone and sighs. "Dude..."

"So?" Michael's still on this, though. "So? You smashed?"

"I--"

"Figures," Michael nods proudly. He laughs, "Any girl you want, you get. I thought Kennedy was gonna be the only hold-out, but what the fuck am I saying?" He shoves him again, "You're you. You're Luke-fucking-Hemmings--"

"What? Wait, no. No," Luke shakes his head, "I didn't...We didn't--"

"Kennedy didn't fuck you," Ashton exclaims, laughing loudly, still staring out the backseat window. "Ha!" He nudges Luke, "Kennedy didn't fuck him."

"Well, shit, Ash. Thanks a fucking lot."

"I mean, not yet," he clarifies. "But you're working on that, yeah? Like, she's almost Mrs. Hemmings, y'know?" He giggles tiredly, tugging on his hood, "You're just like...you're waiting for marriage."

Michael blinks. "Wait, what? Luke, you don't actually like girls, mate--you fuck 'em."

"No--"

Ashton reaches for the door, answering before Luke can. "Not Kenn," he says, and before Michael can get another word in, Ash is squinting though the Seattle drizzle, motioning across the lot. "Found Cal," he states, and Luke and Michael follow, emerging from the sedan.

"Where?" Michael asks, as Luke turns back to his phone, grateful that they're no longer talking about him and the reputation that kept Kennedy from wanting to fuck with him in the first place.

Kenn: lmaooo ok glad you clarified because I was about to start kink shaming

Ashton hoists his backpack over his shoulder. "There," he points, and now both Luke and Michael get a good look at Calum, who's jogged towards that noticeable white Audi, sliding his hands around Royce's waist and pulling her into him for a kiss.

"Well," Luke grins. "Good morning."

"What?" Michael frowns heavily. "What? What the fuck is that?"

Ashton shrugs. "Pretty much what it looks like."

"Wait, what?" He's jogging to keep up with Ashton's quick stride into the building, "Since when?"

Luke eyes Ashton.

"Since Emma'd been up your ass," Ashton replies tersely. "That's when."

And before Michael can reply, Ashton's shaking his head, shoving his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

"Look, today sucks. I'm fucking tired as fuck. Today sucks. And I've got to find a coffee-deprived Lola--"

When they see her...

...surrounded by students...

...shouting across the hall at Jesy Nelson.

"Fuck you, Jesy!"

"Fucking me'll still be better than fucking Ashton Irwin!"

And the murmurs go up around through the crowds, as Ashton shoves his way in the direction of the girls.

"Ash," Luke exclaims, as Michael stares confusedly between them. He really had no idea about this relationship--this actual relationship between his boys and the girls. "Ash, wait!"

But, Ashton can't hear anything, and Luke is suddenly aware of the whispers filtering through the crowd.

Until he hears Kennedy's voice.

"Chill, Jes. Leave her the fuck alone."

"It's called a social hierarchy, princess, and you've just been demoted."

And when they finally push through to the girls, Ashton calls out first. "Hey!"

"Whoa!" And he lunges forward, reaching out to grab Kennedy around her waist, Ashton restraining a kicking Lola.

"Put me down! Put me down so I can fight this bitch!"

"Ha," Jesy drawls. "Nice try, sweetheart."

"You're so lucky Ashton showed up, Jesy--"

"Or, what?" She sniffs. "What would you have done? Called mummy and daddy to fix it and make it better?"

"What's your fucking problem?" Kennedy hisses.

"Our problem?" Jade laughs. "That's funny."

"What's funny? What's funny is how I'm gonna slap you into next semester, bitch."

Jade rolls her eyes, ignoring Lola. "That's funny how we're the ones with the problem, when the problem is holding you back."

"Wait, what?" Luke exclaims, the words clicking with Jade's dismissive look his direction. "You can't mean--"

"You," Jesy scoffs, arms folding across her chest and pushing up her boobs. "That's exactly who I mean."

"Some people just aren't meant to be friends," Jade shrugs. "It's simple."

Ashton laughs. "You're mental."

"Maybe," Jesy shrugs, "but it's how things work."

Jade nods. "Some people aren't meant to socialize--"

"Unless you two are actually druggies--"

"And we didn't know."

"Then have fun, and run off with your addict friends--"

"Addict?!"

"--but don't try to sit with us."

"Because we don't socialize with your kind."

Jesy sniffs. "Shouldn'tve let you onto the cheer squad."

"If Royce weren't Paige's sister, and you two weren't her friends," Jade adds, "you wouldn't still be on the team."

"Don't think we're not trying to vote you out."

And Kennedy struggles against Luke's hold. "You're kidding."

"Yeah," Lola snaps, "like hell you can do that shit, anyway. Paige is Captain."

"Not either of you."

"Paige may be Captain," Jesy nods. "But, ladies, don't forget: majority rules."

__
"I'm gonna fucking clock a bitch! How dare she!? Gonna fucking vote me off the team? Me? And Lola? Lola who's been there since 7th Grade? What!?" Kennedy exclaims furiously, the frustration rising in her voice as Luke walks her down the halls towards her next class. "Luke," she stares at him with wide, angry eyes, "What!?!"

"Don't listen to her--to them," he grimaces, feeling both angry and terrible because how was this his fault? He'd just chickened out asking her to be his girlfriend over New Year's and now this? This too?

Life didn't want him to succeed.

Life didn't want him to be great.

Life didn't want him to date Kennedy.

Could he catch a fucking break?

"I know," she whines. "It's just..." she shakes her head, "I thought school cliques were only for movies."

"Don't," Luke says at once, pausing to take her by the hand. "It's not--they're not worth it, Kennedy."

"But, cheer is what I do, Luke! It's what I've always done, literally since I've been five. Without it I'm--"

"Still Kennedy," he grins. "You're literally the same person still, with or without it."

"I know, I just--"

"Just?" He grins, kissing her forehead. He cups her face gently in his palms, "Just, what?"

"Ugh," she groans lightly. "You're too good to me, man."

"That's why you like me."

"Yeah," she grins. "I guess you're right."

Luke sighs happily. "I'm always right."

"Mhm," she hums, slipping her hand out of his to throw her arms around his waist. "You are."

And Luke almost doesn't know how to contain himself when she does this, because every fucking day he thinks of asking Kennedy to be his, but like, seriously. Luke Hemings didn't think he'd say this, but he really wanted a girlfriend.

He really wanted Kennedy.

He kisses her forehead. "You're gonna be late for class," he murmurs.

"I'd rather be here, though."

He chuckles, "I don't wanna corrupt you."

She giggles. "Too late."

And Luke then feels that overwhelming feeling of guilt again. "Kenn, I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" She asks, pulling back, her nose wrinkling confusedly. "For what?"

"All of this. Like, I'm sorry this is like, ruining your reputation and--"

"Luke," Kennedy laughs, "what?"

"Like, this shit is--"

"Not your fault," Kennedy exclaims. "It's not," and she frowns. "What's going on, Luke?"

"Going on? What do you mean?"

"Why do you guys hate each other so much?" She cocks her head, "I mean, really. There's got to be a reason you guys and Jessie's crew don't get along."

"Uh..." He rubs the back of his neck. "It's more like a conflict of interests..."

"What do you mean?"

"You're gonna be late for class, Kenn."

She waves him off. "So? It's just the first day back."

"Kennedy, you shouldn't skip, babe."

"You know," she places her hands on her hips, "last semester you were the one asking me to skip with you. Now you don't wanna corrupt me?" She laughs. "What in the fuck?"

He chuckles. "I care about your education. Can't I care about your education?"

"Not when you're trying not to answer my question," she sings, and her pouting face makes him smile. "Can't you just answer my question?"

"If you promise to go to class."

She scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Fine," she grumbles. "I'll go to fucking class."

"Thank you."

"Now, tell me!" She pokes him in the chest. "Why do you guys have such a shitty reputation?"

"'Cause Mike and Jesse Fisher hate each other," he shrugs. "They always have."

"So, two fuckboys hate each other?"

He laughs. "Okay..."

"Why? What's that got to do with--?"

Emma.

And in this moment, Kennedy shakes her head, her entire face pinching.

"Oh, wait, Luke..." She sours, overcome with a new thought.

He kisses her forehead, again. "Yeah?"

She sighs, lifting her hands to her face, "Remember when I paid your bail?"

"Shit." He nods. "Yeah?"

"My dad found out..." She gulps. "He's so pissed..."

"Oh fuck."

"He saw the money was gone and asked about it and...let's just say I have until the end of the month to get him the money back or else I'm literally grounded until he forgets I'm grounded."

Shit.

"I--" And Luke instinctively pulls her into his chest. "Okay," he says. "Don't worry," even though he's probably more worried than Kennedy is at this point, "I'll figure it out," he nods. "You're not gonna get in trouble."

She snorts. "More trouble, you mean."

"Yeah. You're not gonna get in any more trouble."

Luke in this moment does not know that he's absolutely, completely lying.

__

But, he walks Kennedy to class and heads back to his locker. It's his free and this day has sucked ass and all he wants is a nap. He's thinking about finding Mike and asking him for his keys, 'cause he'll definitely spend some time in the backseat of his mom's car.

And as he approaches their lockers, Luke turns and sees Michael down the hall.

Perfect.

He's leaning against the lockers, reaching for his box of cigs, when Luke grows closer.

And notices that Mike is leaned up, talking to someone.

He's having a conversation.

A conversation with Royce.

Oh, fuck no.

And just as Luke picks up his pace, he watches her step away with a wave and a mouthed "Thank you," before she sashays down the hall and out of sight.

Luke meets Michael with a hard shove.

"Dude!"

Michael's eyes open wide in shock as he chokes, falling back against the lockers. "What the hell--?"

"What'd you just say to her?" Luke demands.

"What? You her boyfriend, too?"

"What the fuck did you say to her, Mike!?"

"I dunno," Michael shrugs. "She asked about Emma. I told her."

Why was Royce so obsessed with Emma?

"What?!" Luke exclaims. "You told her what!?"

"She wanted to know about Emma and Snake. What's the deal?"

"No," Luke groans, palms over his eyes; this was all bad. What if Royce told Kennedy? What if the rest of the girls found out about Snake? What would Kennedy say? What would Calum say?

This was all so fucking bad.

"What the fuck? No! Why? Fucking hell--" And he punches him, "Dude!"

"Hey!" Michael recoils, stumbling backwards against the lockers. "The fuck's that for?"

"Calum's gonna kill you..."

"What? Why?"

Calum's gonna freak.

No. That was probably an understatement.

Today really fucking sucked.

___

"Dude, be nice."

"Shut the fuck up," Calum snaps, and Luke would laugh if this wasn't such a fucked up situation. "I swear, Mike. Just shut the fuck up."

"Look, just be nice," Michael reiterates with an eye roll. "We're literally at Emma's place, alright? It'd be one thing if you wanted to bitch around if she was with us, but--"

"But? But?" Luke adds, "Listen to Cal, mate. Shut the fuck up."

And the small, appreciative smile Luke receives from Calum is validation enough for him in the moment. Luckily, it seems like he's not as mad as he had been when Luke had to tell him about Michael giving Royce whatever information he'd given her about Emma.

And now, here they were.

They stood across town, in a little secluded neighborhood not too far from The Reptile Room. Not too far from the diner.

And they're following Calum, now. Calum, who stalks up the drive towards a door upon Michael's direction. Calum, who's wearing a permanent scowl. Calum, who'd been more than a little pissed when Luke told him Royce had been asking questions.

Questions about them.

Questions about Emma.

He bangs on the door--the door to wherever the hell Emma was supposed to be staying. His fist is closed and he's banging, more out of frustration than anything else. And Luke is thinking that he should've either stayed in the car with Ash or waited for the girls to leave. How fucking long was it until he got his license back again?

Shit.

The door is answered by a tall woman. She's got dark brown skin; long, curly hair; and dark eyes set deep into her gaunt face. She looks like she'd seen a lifetime worth of things. She looked like she was older than she probably was. She looked like she was in the process of recovering from something.

She looked ridiculously familiar.

And she eyes the boys carefully. "Hello? May I help you?"

"I--" Calum gapes, "I--uh..."

And to Luke's surprise, he watches as his friend shakes his head.

"Never mind," Calum says. "I, uh..." He takes a step backwards off the porch. "I think I got the wrong house."

And Calum continues, despite Michael's protests and the woman's look of confusion, he continues in his backwards direction, turning on the heel of his Converse and power walking towards Michael's mom's car.

"Uh, sorry about that, Dina," Luke hears Michael say, as Luke takes off after Calum.

He jumps off the porch and hears Ash and Michael follow.

"Dude," Luke begins, racing after him. "Dude! Cal--"

And he reaches out, grabbing Calum by the arm of his hoodie, spinning him around.

"Cal, what the fuck, mate? Why're we leaving?"

Ashton jerks his head back and over his shoulder. "Who the hell was that?"

"Dude..." And Calum pinches his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. "Dude, that's Royce's mom."

"Wait..."

And Luke blinks, "What?"

But, it's Michael who is the most visibly confused.

"What the fuck is going on?"

___

this story is long y'all wow
im kinda proud of me for this one no lie. A lot happened wit tha crew. xxx

ready or not || the fugees // remix